Thermoplastics elastomer manufacturer Kraiburg TPE (Waldkraiburg / Germany; www.kraiburg-tpe.com) has launched two new TPE product ranges in Europe. The “Copec” and “For-Tec E” ranges have already been successfully launched in the USA, and the company hopes to replicate that success in Europe, says European director Oliver Zintner. The products, which are designed for use in consumer sectors, have superior haptic and adhesion properties and are resistant to influences such as sweat, alcohol and weather, Kraiburg TPE says.

The Copec products feel like velvet or silk to the touch, and have excellent adhesion properties in the multi-component injection moulding process with thermoplastic materials such as ABS, PC or PC/PBT, the company says. Applications include computer mice, games consoles and ear plugs.

The For-Tec E series was developed for reliable adhesion to semi-aromatic polyamides and PA 6.6. The compounds are also suitable for use in the consumer electronics sector, as well as in power tools.

Kraiburg TPE was awarded in April the 2011 European Frost & Sullivan New Product Innovation Award for its TPE products. Deepan Kannan, industry analyst at market research company Frost & Sullivan (London / UK; www.chemical.frost.com), said: “Innovative products from Kraiburg TPE such as Copec and For-Tec E have overcome the technical limitations of conventional SBCs, for example with respect to mechanical values or adhesion.”